Other Peoples Bodies Are Not Your Business

BEDA/NEDA 2017

Good morning!

Just a quick video on how amazing the BEDA/NEDA 2017 Conference was this weekend!

Some of the things referenced in this video so you can learn more:

I spent time in rooms with people who are far more brilliant and awake than I could ever hope to be and though I cannot share everything because I’d be writing a novel, I want to share some things that stood out for me from some of the presentations I had the privilege of attending.
I attended “Eating Disorders in Marginalized Populations: What is the impact of food insecurity presented by Carolyn Black Becker, PhD, FAED and Keesha Middlemass, PhD. I was so enraptured by the data and the implications of food insecurity and food deserts on ED behavior that I failed to take photos- if you have the opportunity, look for their research.
I attended “A Crash Course on the Collision of Public Policy and Higher Weight Bodies” presented by Wendy Oliver-Pyatt, MD and Chevese Turner, BA. It was also fantastic and what stuck with me was how public policy has run afoul of the communities they profess to want to help due to a reactive ill informed antiquated medical model.
Next I attended “The Road to Recovered: A Collaboration Between a Recovered Advocate and a Clinician.” With Katie Thompson MS, LPC, NCC, CEDS and Ali Fields, JD. My favorite point they touched on was how recovery is not linear, but possible.
One of my favorites was “Controlling Images and Stereotypes: Body Image and the weight stigma in the LBGTQ+ Community” presented by Tanya Hammer, PhD. The second photo is from that presentation I failed to take more because I was rabid in taking notes. There is a dearth of literature and research addressing body image and ED issues in the LGBTQ+ community and the presentation focused on using a Cultural Relational therapeutic approach with narrative techniques and DBT with conscientious awareness of intersectionality – literally the paradigm I practice from, so I was fascinated. There is a little research on the topic regarding non gender binary members of the population but there is a woeful lack of research in other populations like asexual, pansexual and other members of the community, as there is a continued “lumping together of bisexual data” into gay/lesbian data, confounding results. This university is making great strides and get this! They’re in Oklahoma! Even they were like “who would’ve guessed, huh?” The OSU Body Image Research Lab looks fascinating.
The final presentation I had time to attend was “Dismantling Weight Bias in BED Treatment: Using the HAES Model for Stigma Resistance” presented by Judith Matz, LCSW and Deb Burgard, PhD (Who I am not at all ashamed to admit I hope to be half as amazing as her when I grow up.) The entire presentation was amazing but two things stuck out for me. The concept of Cultural Humility as opposed to Cultural Competence ( as defined by Vivian Chavez) and this that Deb said: “Maybe my role is to use my big loud voice to help other people to know when to take a seat and listen to the people who have something important to say but don’t have my privilege and voice.” That felt important.
It ALL felt important.